Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Update

Mike met with his doctor this morning. Although I offered to go with him, he wanted me to go on to school. I complied. His buddy, Tom, went with him instead.

(When I am at school, I'm in that world. I'm with those kids. I'm surrounded by those friends. I'm deep into lessons and issues and drama, although I've learned to tune out those last two. At any rate, my brain is elsewhere than the doctor's office.And that was what the hub wanted for today.)

Before the school day began, I fired off a quick message to The Angels -- Laura's Angels: our community prayer/care network. I asked them to pray for Mike at 9:30 as he kept his appointment. I knew that they would. I think I felt some thunder and shaking at half past nine.

Someone must have shared the info with some students. There was an impromptu prayer circle during lunch. God's people are everywhere.

Here's the report I got after school: the CT shows three enlarged lymph nodes in his pancreas. Some ducts are enlarged. He has been fighting an infection. He had no fever this AM. His doctor's assessment: You are no more sick today than you were three months ago.

He will attack the nodes with another round of chemo. This time, he gets an infusion on Monday and then a pill a day for 6 days; then back to the infusion. I've got reading material here...something about a 28 day regimen. For the Googlites, the drug is capecitabine. Go for it.

Tom's message to me was: not as bad as he was expecting. Mike asked his doctor what her goals were. There was some talk about Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Our plan was to meet up at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at 3 PM for some business. I left school and drove over. As they are closed on Monday, Tuesdays are hopping. It took us about an hour to conduct our business. I think that's a record. Between signing this and that, handing over licenses and credit cards, getting them back, signing more things and then getting the whole thing "approved,' the hub filled me in on the details.

Then, as we finished there, he said, "Do you want to go and get a drink?" Well, sure I would. Except our BMV is no where near anywhere to get something non-alcoholic.

"Where shall we go?" I asked.

He thought. "Huh. You DON'T hang out, do you?"

Well, no. I'm at school.

He suggested a local coffee shop.

"Really? Do you go there? When?"

He smiled slyly. "You just never know," he said. "After all, I'm retired."

We drove over. I had my latte/he had the specialty frappe menu memorized.

Amazing. Marriage is one long revelation.

We sat for about an hour and then headed home. I think we have tied up a bunch of loose ends.

So, here's where we are in Kokomo, Indiana. Mike's treatment begins next Monday.